Moose bit his tongue and clenched his jaw as he mentally counted to ten. "Well, I'm not a fortuneteller, so I can't give you an exact time frame."

"Watch your mouth," Wanderer sneered.

"You think she'd appreciate the way you're grilling me right now?" Moose asked.

Wanderer looked away. "I'm doing my job as a father."

Moose smirked. Finally. "I'm not sure she'd see it that way. Look, at this point, I know Joey better than you do. She handles herself well and doesn't like outside interference. She's important to me. I'll fight for her, take care of her and provide what she needs. Anything else, I think is between your daughter and me. Had this gone a different way, I would've come to you first for permission. But that wasn't possible, so we both have our hands tied by what's going on." Moose shrugged.

"I want you to come correct or not at all."

"Which means what?" Moose asked.

"Make her more permanent."

He heard an ultimatum in the tone. "Or?" Moose said.

"Or let her go."

Moose leaned forward in his chair. "Let me get this straight. You expect me to walk out of here, find her and pitch old lady status?"

"Not right away, but in the near future."

"And if I don't?"

"Then, we're going to have a problem." Wanderer smirked.

Unsure what to say, Moose remained silent.

"You understand me?"

"Yeah, I heard you." He didn't like one-sided stipulations.

Chapter Eleven.

Hearing the knock, Joey pushed away from her computer desk and smiled. One of the girls must be by to check on her. They'd been amazing over the past week, cheering her up and getting her out of the house.

It stung that Moose hadn't called. She had no clue where they stood or how he felt about the situation. Her father said he'd spoken to Moose but he wouldn't reveal any of the details, claiming it was a man thing. The president made her want to smack him more times than not. She and Wanderer were too alike and she'd been own her on for too long to sit back and be taken care of. It made them butt heads like two rams battling for power.

Shaking her head, she walked to the door, looked through the peephole and froze. Moose.

His face gave away nothing. He stood on the porch with his hands shoved in his pockets. The wraparound sunglasses hid his eyes, leaving her to guess. His body language didn't scream upset, but you could never tell with him. He held his emotions in.

Her hand shook as she opened the door. "Hi," she said, so low she barely even heard it.

"Hey, Jo-Jo."

She smiled, opening the door and stepping back.

He moved inside and the familiar scent of leather, maleness and the hint of body wash drifted up to her nose. She closed the door and leaned against its cool surface to hide her shaky legs. What he said next could make or break them...permanently.

"I did what you asked, took some time and went to see your old man."

"And?" Nerves struck. It felt like tiny elves were using zip lines in her stomach.

"We reached an understanding." He shrugged. "He wanted to know what my intentions were and made it very clear what he expected."

"Which was?" She arched an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "Nothing I'm worried about. He knows I'm not screwing you."

Joey snickered.

Moose rolled his eyes. "Over...he knows we're legit."

"And you. What did you learn?" She pushed away from the door, sliding the lock home. After his abrupt departure, she couldn't let him off the hook totally. He'd made her sweat it out for over a week.

He walked over to the door and placed both his arms on opposite sides of her head. "That I don't want to be without you."

The frank honesty made her gasp.

"We could shoot the shit all day, go back and forth, pussyfoot around it. Truth is, we're both in way deeper than we intended and now we have to deal with the aftermath of that."

She licked her lips. "You make it sound like the apocalypse."

"Maybe it is." He smirked.

Muscles tightened in her lower belly, and her nipples hardened. The man must emit pheromones made just for her. "You think it'll be that easy? That you can just walk back in here-"

He pressed his lips against hers, seeking entrance with his tongue.

Her head spun. The passion always present between them came to life like a roaring fire. She brought her hands up to grip his shirt and opened her mouth. His taste exploded onto her tongue and she allowed herself to indulge, sampling his flavor like a once-in-a-lifetime bottle of the finest whiskey. Intoxicated, she tilted her head, deepening the kiss like an addict on a binge. She rose on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Moose buried his fingers in her hair and pressed her body the length of his.

A puddle formed in her panties. They pulled apart for air and she shook her head, clearing the sensual haze that settled. "Wait, we can't just glaze over this." She shook her head.

Moose groaned. "What more is there to say? Neither of us is going anywhere. Mayhem is cool with it and your dad is taken care of for now. Don't borrow trouble. Because trust me, it's always waiting around the corner."

Joey rested her head on his shoulder, chewing on his words. "I know you're right. But I don't want this to be a habit. We have a problem...you leave and come back...later."

"Hey. Give me some credit; this was an insane curve in the road."

"I know, I know, but-childhood scars and such."

"Hey." He pulled away and grasped her chin, forcing her gaze up to his. "We're all fucked up by something."

"Yeah."

"I'm not the type to walk away. Why do you think I never let anything get started? Our policy has always been to be upfront and honest about our relationship. That hasn't changed."

"Wow, relationship."

He snickered. "I got so much shit about it, I figure it's time for labels."

She glanced away to hide her grin.

"Don't act like that shit doesn't make you happy."

"I said nothing."

"You didn't have to." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Are we cool?"

"Yeah, I think we are."

"Thank God. 'Cause I missed my pussy."

Her jaw dropped and her breasts grew heavy, as if on command.

"Are you wet for me, Jo-Jo? Because I'm hard for you. Have been from the minute I walked inside." He tugged at her hair and she moaned. "That's my girl. You're ready for it fast and dirty, aren't you?" He nipped her earlobe. "You're even wearing a skirt."

Chill bumps broke out over her arms and collarbone. His voice felt like sumptuous velvet. It glided over her and inflamed her senses.

"Show me how much you missed me, Jo-Jo. Pull up your skirt and stroke that pretty pussy."

"Moose."

"You get shy on me while I was away?" He smirked. "Guess I better make sure and fix that."

His voice rumbled in her ear, starting fireworks in her belly. She held her breath in anticipation of his next movement.

"Did you forget the rules?" He pulled her hair tighter. "I ask and you do."

"Yes, sir." Her hands shook as she reached down and began to bunch up her floor-length, gray terrycloth skirt.

"Much better." He grunted.

Cool air assaulted the slick heat of her core through the boy-cut teal panties.

"I like this shade of blue on you." The rip of cloth and the snap of elastic against her skin made her gasp. "I like it better off. Brace yourself. I can smell you from here and I'm starving." He sank to his knees, parted her wet folds and flicked her clit with his tongue.

A ragged moan escaped her lips as she bent slightly to keep from toppling over.

He explored every inch of her, pausing to suck and flick her sensitive bundle of nerves.

Her breath caught in her lungs and her legs shook as she approached the start of a massive release. "I-I'm going to come."

"Not yet, Jo-Jo."

He eased two fingers inside, and she sobbed. "Please."

"You're so pretty when you beg me." He hooked his fingers and she rocked her hips. "Open your eyes and I'll give you what you want."

She struggled against the rapture weighing down her lids and met his brilliant blue gaze.

"That's my good girl." He pulled out and drove home over and over again.

His fingers sent her over the edge in a wicked tailspin. Her body shuddered and she cried his name, gripping his shoulders for dear life as the world went fuzzy. When she came back down, his fingers were still moving inside her, manipulating the swollen flesh.

"I hope you know we're nowhere near done." He pushed to his feet, gripped her thighs and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. He slammed her body up against the door.

Joey eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I'm going to fuck you now, Jo-Jo. Make sure you remember you belong to me."

She purred from low in her throat, reaching up to grip a hank of his hair and tug, hard. "And you belong to me."

"Fuck, you're so hot when you get possessive." He quickly undid his pants, shoved the denim down his legs and thrust home.

"Oh God!" His thick girth pushed her to the border of pain. A slight sting reminded her what a week without a good dick-down could do. She dug her fingers into his back, enjoying the way his muscles flexed as he pounded into her.

"So tight, wet."

The back of her head knocked against the door. "Shit, shit, shit." Her brain shut down, and she became a mindless receptacle for pleasure. Her walls flexed and she leaned forward and sank her teeth into the flesh of his shoulders.

He roared, pumping and grunting like a wild animal as he strained inside her. "Gonna come," he whispered.

"Yes, yes." Her body trembled and he gripped her hips tightly as his heat flooded her channel. The warmth sent her over the edge into a soul-shattering completion that was more than physical. He slumped onto her and she held on for dear life as her throat went dry and she decided to be brave as the words fell out of her trembling mouth, "I'm falling in love with you."

His body went stiff. "What did you say?" He pulled back and tilted his head down.

"I said, I'm falling in love with you." Her voice wavered. Was it too much? Too soon? After everything, she couldn't keep it inside.

He graced her with a wide teeth-baring smile she'd never seen before. It took years off his age and for a moment in time, turned him into a completely different person. His eyes were bluer than a clear sky and the happiness radiating from him blinded her like the sun. "I'm right there with you, Jo-Jo. You pulled off the impossible, touched a place I thought I'd buried long ago." He shook his head. "These waters we're swimming in are deep."

"Are you okay with that?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"I don't think it matters now that we're in them." His eyes twinkled.

Joey laughed. "Yeah, I guess not."